Despite playing for fifty minutes with ten men at Hemel Hempstead Town, Welling United put in a great shift to claim a fantastic two-nil victory.

Bradley Rolt’s dismissal was one of a number of controversial decisions made by the referee but Welling dug deep and were good value for their victory.

Anthony Cook shot well over then Welling threatened again when Phil Roberts took a quick throw to send Dipo Akinyemi clear down the right wing. He pulled it back but Cameron James fired over.

A long shot by Jacques Kpohomouh was well watched by Dan Wilks before Welling went ahead. Rolt found Akinyemi down the inside right channel. Having collected it, he cut back cleverly before firing inside the far post.

James Dobson had a free kick well saved by Wilks and from the follow up Isaac Galliford’s close range shot was cleared off the line by Connor Dymond.

Jack Midson was next to test Wilks with a firm header but he again saved well.

After that, Welling had a good spell on top. Nathan Green’s free kick found its way out to James and he cut back and shot but Danny Boness did well to block with his feet.

Connor Dymond then had a header knocked off the line by Boness before the Tudors’ goalkeeper made a stunning save from Cook’s free kick.

Romoney Crichlow-Noble then made space for himself and shot from thirty yards but his shot skimmed the roof of the net with Boness beaten.

Galliford shot wide of the near post at the other end before referee Mark Howes made his first controversial decision. Midson flattened Crichlow-Noble with a forearm smash across his face and was very lucky to escape with a yellow card.

Three minutes later, the referee showed young Rolt no mercy. As he burst through, it got slightly away from him and he stretched to reach it and appeared to play the ball as Tyrone Sterling crumbled under the challenge. The referee thought otherwise and showed him a red card.

Despite being short-handed, Welling didn’t sit back and Green had a shot deflected wide early in the second half.

Cook had another free kick saved before Deon Moore missed a great chance to level when firing over from six yards out.

Rob Sinclair had a shot deflected over before Connor Essam’s header was too high from Dobson’s free kick.

There was a big goalmouth scramble which ended with Galliford blasting wide before Welling increased their lead. James swung in a corner that Boness appeared to have covered but it came out of his hands and Korrey Henry tucked it away just five minutes after coming on.

Soon after, Welling should have gone three up when Boness could only beat out Henry’s shot as far as James but he blasted wide.

Wilks made an excellent save from Moore’s header from Essam’s cross then Sinclair headed wide from a deep Galliford cross.

That was the last chance that Hemel had and Welling’s three points moved them a few places up the league away from the bottom two.

Welling United: Wilks, Dymond, Green, Crichlow-Noble, Joseph, Wright, James, Rolt, Akinyemi (Henry 71), Roberts (Johnson 43) (Cosgrave 90+), Cook. Subs not used: Goldberg, McCallum.